Immigration Legal Access Grant Program

The Immigration Legal Access Grant Program, initiated by the City of Boston Office of Immigrant Advancement, aims to provide essential legal assistance to immigrants navigating the complex U.S. immigration system. With a total funding of $900,000, this program supports nonprofit organizations that offer services such as legal orientation, consultations, and representation. By prioritizing organizations with licensed attorneys, the program seeks to enhance access to justice for Boston’s immigrant communities, especially in light of recent policy changes.

Grant Program Description:
The U.S. immigration legal system is complicated and difficult to navigate without experienced help. Small errors can have serious ramifications on a case. However, people seeking immigration benefits often face barriers navigating the legal system because demand for accessible, affordable, and competent assistance vastly outweighs supply. Further, recent federal immigration policy changes have made it harder for immigrants to regularize their status, be released from detention, and gain work authorization.
To bridge this service gap, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) is pleased to announce the 2026 Immigration Legal Access Grant. MOIA seeks to fund programming provided by community-based nonprofits and legal aid organizations to respond to this need for immigration legal assistance. Grants will be disbursed to immigrant-serving nonprofits that are working across immigrant communities. Proposals can include, but are not limited to:
Legal orientationComprehensive consultationsPro se application supportForms assistanceFull representationBond assistance (legal support/representation only - funds cannot be used for paying bond)Other immigration legal services responding to emerging needs resulting from recent federal policy changes
Immigration legal services must be provided by licensed immigration attorneys or Department of Justice Accredited Representatives. If an organization does not meet either of those requirements, they must ensure adequate external legal supervision of their programming and detail this plan in their grant application. Due to the complexity and changing nature of immigration law, MOIA is prioritizing granting funds to organizations that are already DOJ accredited, have at least one immigration lawyer on staff, or are contracting with or receiving legal supervision from an immigration attorney that is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and is in good standing with Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
Total Amount Available for Grants:

• $900,000
• Maximum Award Amount per Grant:

Awards may vary in size up to $100,000; MOIA may award full funding, partial funding, or no funding. In the event that partial funding is awarded, MOIA will require an updated budget, budget narrative, and service goal. MOIA anticipates making one or two awards at $100,000, and multiple awards between $20,000 - $80,000. Receipt of MOIA grant funds in previous years does not guarantee receipt of funds in future years.
All grantees will be required to submit one interim and one final quantitative and qualitative report during and after the grant period. MOIA will provide reporting templates. The reports will require the following information, submitted in aggregate, on the below data points:
Total number of individuals servedZip code or Boston neighborhoodGenderCountry of birthType of assistance receivedRace (final report only)Income (final report only)Any other aggregated data requested by MOIA at the start of the grant period

Eligibility

Be a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization that serves Boston residentsIf the organization is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, they can apply with a fiscal sponsor.Work with immigrant populations in the City of Boston and, if applicable to the proposed program, have experience working within these communities to provide high quality immigration servicesBe authorized to provide immigration legal services such as screening and consultation, forms assistance, or legal representation by licensed staff attorneys, Department of Justice Accredited staff, or through appropriate attorney supervision.Have the capacity to successfully execute the proposal’s deliverables and demonstrate that they will commit to providing an adequate number of staff with sufficient expertise, time, and resources.Demonstrate their ability to ensure culturally and linguistically-sensitive procedures throughout the project/program.Be in good financial standing with both the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the IRS, and be in good standing with current or previous MOIA grant reporting requirements. Be able to execute deliverables within the stated time frame and provide data that allows for assessment of the proposal’s impact